Dierdre Cieran

And it’s good to remember that even this new piece of writing will need another pass. It’s usually when I let go and allow myself to have “bad scenes” that the writing starts to flow again and I can continue onward.

I’ve committed myself to starting again. Writing from the beginning. And my new drafts are mostly re-writes. I’ll read the scene as it was written before, but with added detail or a deeper interiority, the scene unfolds slightly different than what I had.

Sometimes this one trips me up. Sure. It’s totally acceptable for my first drafts to have bad beginnings. I’m going to fix everything in the next draft, right? But sometimes I need to remember this sentiment when working on draft 2 or 3 or 4 as well. It’s hard.

Motivation Monday

“Nothing begins good, but everything good begins. The courage of creation is making bad beginnings.” — Kevin Ashton

What piece of advice helps you overcome stagnation?

#amwriting #amquerying #blueskywrites #writingcommunity #revspirations #WriteSky #WriterSky #Writers

I am reading both Tender is the Flesh and Shadow and Bone. I did not want to read TITF on it's own.

I am always about making my stories better. I want them to be good enough to get out into the world, to be read and appreciated. To be something people can relate to, something they can find inspiration from.

When I am drafting, I love drafting. I love pulling the story from my mind and watching it unfold on the page, of learning more about my characters and what they go through as the story unfolds. When I am editing, I love editing. Every time I come back to the manuscript I improve it, make it better.

#WIPSnips drawing me away from my frenzied drafting to make a graphic for one of the most fundamental words in my epic fantasy world. 👀

#amwriting #amquerying #blueskywrites #writingcommunity #revspirations #WriteSky #WriterSky #Writers

So I applied to join an expedition that will get me out of the house for a couple of months, and grant me enough prestige to move away from home for good. But AITA for abandoning my family to seek my freedom?

I (19F) have a mentally ill father, a mother who's spent all of my teenage years at his side, and five older siblings. Now that my siblings have left home, mom is relying on me to provide respite. But my father's episodes affect me greatly.

AITA for leaving my family when they needed me most to pursue a chance to escape from the burdens life threw at us?

#FIFRevPit #amwriting #amquerying #blueskywrites #writingcommunity #revspirations #WriteSky #WriterSky #Writers

Fall Into Fiction with RevPit Prompt: Pitch your MC as an AITA post. #FiFRevPit

A favorite! Pitch your MC as an Am I The A****** post 🤭 #FiFRevPit #writingcommunity #writersky #writersofbluesky

Picture is of a manuscript marked with purple pen. In the top left corner is a purple pen and a yellow highlighter.

New Substack post about my writing journey!

open.substack.com/pub/dmcieran...

#amwriting #amquerying #blueskywrites #writingcommunity #revspirations #WriteSky #WriterSky #Writers #fantasywriters

Picture is of a black and white cat sleeping on the arm of her human. She is nestled in a cloth-like reusable shopping bag on an arm with her forepaw draped over an arm.

Happy #Caturday!

Sleepy Stratus. She’s sleeping in a bag in my lap. Yes, the bag is necessary. She doesn’t like to be picked up. But being picked up in the bag is okay.

In what way is your pet peculiar?

#amwriting #amquerying #blueskywrites #writingcommunity #revspirations #WriteSky #WriterSky

Thank you!

Thank you!

#questpit pitches below ⬇️

Cover of Robbie McNeil's Hit List, which shows a neon sign shaped like an arm holding a knife. The sign is the colors of the lesbian flag. An image of white headphones sits next to the cover. Text below reads "Narrated by Mara Wilson" with fine print at the bottom that says "March 24, 2026. Available for pre-order now!" The graphic is set against a backdrop of a dark magenta brick wall.

Just an author trying to keep up with social media here, but hey!! I got my dream narrator for Robbie McNeil's Hit List! I'm thrilled to have Mara Wilson narrating and grateful to my pub team for making it happen!

It's available for pre-order wherever you get your audiobooks!

#WritingCommunity 📚💙

Bee’s book is already awesome - but it’ll also have a super awesome narrator! 🥰😍

collage

After tragedy and family drama broke them up, they moved on with their lives. 10 years later, they reunite for a wedding in the place they fell in love and apart. Is it worth reopening wounds from summer 2013 or was any of that love even real?

#questpit #a #q #wf #r

An Agent’s Guide To When the summer’s over New Adult Romance. 83k words

After losing her mom as a child, Sage has only ever felt at home in one place: Camp Woodvale. She won’t let her unrequited crush back at university ruin her final summer. When a devastating breakup derails Nico’s summer plans, he comes to Camp Woodvale. Amidst the unusual traditions and the staff drama, Nico finds comfort in Sage- the girl he’s certain his cousin is still in love with. They’ll be each other’s rebounds with two rules to follow... 1. Sage can’t talk to her crush 2. No discussing their future until the last day at camp When Nico can no longer hide his yearning for Sage, she must decide if she can finally close the door on unfinished business. And if she doesn’t, Nico will get hurt and Sage risks ruining her final summer-- with lifelong friendships caught in the crossfire. PITCH

Tropes, comps & Themes Found family Closed setting Love triangle Casual-to-lovers Jewish rep Multi-pov Just for the summer: Short-term Relationship dynamics Deep end: It’s casual But someone catches feelings Wildfire: Atmospheric Summer camp setting

meet the staff Sage office staff Loves camp Used to like Hugh Wants to be Color War captain Not over a guy at uni Nico sports instructor New to camp and hates it Hugh’s cousin Not over his ex Thinks Sage is cute Mariah sr. counselor Sage’s co-staff and bff Dating Hugh The ultimate cool girl Also wants to be Color War captain hugh sr. counselor Probably in love with Sage Worst counselor ever Can’t cook or fold clothes Corinne jr. counselor Mariah and Sage’s co-staff Has the nicest clothes Will steal your man

Heartbroken summer camp staff start a casual fling with two rules. Sage can't talk to her fling at school and they can't discuss the future until the summer's over. When someone breaks the deal, they both risk ruining their summers with lifelong friendships caught in the crossfire. #questpit #q #r

Mood board depicting a moody, gothic romance vibe, with a rural historical Ireland setting

Title: The Banshee of Clan Murtagh Body: Ireland, 1348 When Ciarán Murtagh hears the cry of his family’s banshee for the first time in a decade, he knows one of his own is fated to die. But they don’t believe his warnings--why would they? The last time Ciarán heard the banshee he didn’t tell a soul until after his cousin’s tragic death, and they’ve never trusted him since. Desperate for redemption in his family’s eyes, Ciarán hunts down the banshee in search of answers. She’s equal parts frightening and alluring, and in his struggle to confront her, he inadvertently triggers the banshee’s memories. Memories of when she was a servant of his household, generations ago, named Deirdre. Deirdre claims that Ciarán’s physical touch restores her memories, and demands more. He agrees to meet by moonlight in hope of learning whose death she foretold. With every encounter, Ciarán’s attraction to Deirdre grows, setting him on a path of macabre desire. When the devastating bubonic plague befalls the Murtagh household, and Deirdre’s memories reveal a dark scandal in the family’s history, Ciarán must decide whether to stay by his family’s side in their final hours or embrace the seduction of the death-bringer.

Ciarán doesn’t want to be followed by death. He certainly doesn’t expect to fall in love with her. Pursuing a doomed romance with his family’s banshee in the face of plague, he must choose the pain of living or the seduction of the death-bringer.

#SmoochPit 2025

#questpit #W #A #Horrormance #H

Dune 2 X The Unbroken

In a city under constant threat, those gifted with psychic abilities are honed into warriors charged with defending their home. Sylin and Naraha, born with the gift, are conscripted into a brutal guild to be trained as killers against their wills.
#QuestPit #AgentsGuide

CITY OF BRASS x STRANGE THE DREAMER

A girl with dormant magic infiltrates a gilded empire to save her best friend—only to uncover a court built on ancient blood oaths, the boy she once mourned, and a lost heiress no one wants found.

#F #questpit

My #AgentsGuide for ✨ALICE & THE AFTERLIFE✨ #QuestPit #Q #PR

Reluctant medium Alice accidentally lands a job cleaning haunted houses & exorcising spirits...

🏡 cleaning haunted houses
🌊 ghosts by the coast
🎭 dark humour
🔪 serial killer plot
🧠 autistic herione
🌈 queer & trans rep

A harmony of witches book on pink canvas bg and tropes and flowers around it

Excerpt from chapter two: something sharpe These violets are lovely!

WICKED X R&J X LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

An autistic, transfemme, plant-killing garden witch works with a rival music witch to care for an ancient flower. When a meltdown turns it sentient, she must regulate her emotions to turn it back & prevent a war. #questpit #ya #f #q

Missing casandra sweetwater young man scuffed poster 100 gold reward last

Missing prince (unintelligible) 10,000 mana stones Last seen: bloom season

SWORDCROSSED x FAEBOUND

Casper, a trans runaway prince, is cursed to die if he badmouths the crown. When he’s caught after 6 yrs, elf Darrow is cursed to constantly watch him. To escape, Casper must break both of their curses or die trying.

#questpit #A #FR #WIP

Phoebe and the Space Dragon, 92k Adult Sci-fi

Pitch: In space, no one can hear you scream...at your ex. There's no room for argument when a pregnant, endangered creature demands you help her reach her nursery world---even if you're forced to fly with your ed. For anxious marine biologist Remy, the only thing scarier than space would be falling back in love with the man who shattered her heart.

Tropes and comps: forced proximity, second chance love, co-parenting, middle-aged MC and LI, painful secrets.

Looking down on Earth from space was allegedly a life changing event, but Remy was busy gripping her armrest and praying for delivery from a sudden, violent death. Why bother looking towards home? Any second now, she’d be plummeting back. Maybe orbiting trash would crash into them. Or the shuttle could lose power and drift into the void until they all died of hypoxia. All. That was the worst part: if she died, her only child died, too. Not that the daughter in question seemed to appreciate the gravity of the situation. Phoebe was all wide eyes and smiles as the budget shuttle rocketed them towards their almost certain demise. "Dad?" He glanced around at the silver-collared crew, all carefully not paying attention to the interaction, as usual—except for Solkar, who winked. "Captain Bellamy when we’re on the bridge, Phoebe,” he whispered. She scowled at him. "It's Navigator Walker, then." The corner of his mouth quirked like she’d said something funny instead of grown-up and serious. "You're right, we need to keep this as professional as possible, Navigator Walker." "Or we could act like we’re still a family," she muttered, half-hoping her voice didn’t carry across the Hasma’s pool. “At least one of us still wishes we were.” He looked a little hurt. It didn’t make her feel any better, but she didn’t apologize. If she was hurting, so could he. And it wasn’t like he ever apologized. "I am your family, Navigator Walker. A bit of time and distance doesn’t change that."

Wayfarers x Farscape

Peace between alien races could shatter unless a neurodivergent, space-phobic marine biologist, the sexy, secretive ex she’s “over”, and their tween daughter can guide a pregnant space dragon to her nursery world before she loses her clutch.

#QuestPit #AG #SF

An agent’s guide to The Banshee of Clan Murtagh, 71,000 word gothic horror by Anna Hirsch

Tropes: He’s human, she’s immortal • Only one grave • Byronic hero protagonist • Uncovering lost memories • Medieval Irish setting • Tragic ending Comps: The death-touched romance of Nosferatu, the Catholic guilt of The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas, the black plague of Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, the folkloric love story of Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

Pitch: When Ciarán Murtagh hears the cry of his family’s banshee for the first time in a decade, he knows one of his own is fated to die. But they don’t believe his warnings--why would they? The last time Ciarán heard the banshee he didn’t tell a soul until after his cousin’s tragic death, and they’ve never trusted him since. Desperate for redemption in his family’s eyes, Ciarán hunts down the banshee in search of answers. She’s equal parts frightening and alluring, and in his struggle to confront her, he inadvertently triggers the banshee’s memories. Memories of when she was a servant of his household, generations ago, named Deirdre. Deirdre claims that Ciarán’s physical touch restores her memories, and demands more. He agrees to meet by moonlight in hope of learning whose death she foretold. With every encounter, Ciarán’s attraction to Deirdre grows, setting him on a path of macabre desire. When the devastating bubonic plague befalls the Murtagh household, and Deirdre’s memories reveal a dark scandal in the family’s history, Ciarán must decide whether to stay by his family’s side in their final hours or embrace the seduction of the death-bringer.

I was a boy of ten when I first saw death, but I’d heard her for years. It was an early summer’s day when we went to the lough. Niamh led us through the forest along the stream, babbling all the way with a lightness that opposed her urgent pace. “This could be our best chance to see the merrow! Auntie said the veil is thin. They’ll be near and then we can speak!” “She also said we shouldn’t go this far,” I begrudged her. Again about the merrow. She had been speaking of them for days, and insisted that Deaglán and I journey with her to the lough, where they lay beneath the surface. Finbar wasn’t supposed to come, but Aunt Eithne had made us watch him while she harvested yellow flowers on the hillside. He slowed us down, and Niamh’s frustration roiled off her like steam against the cool breeze. Though the land was ripe with life, winter still dragged a claw through the air. As we ventured deeper into the forest, a feeling of unease grew within me. A sound rang in my ears, so faint I could not tell if it was imagined or real. Because for weeks, it had haunted my dreams.  

#AgentsGuide to my upmarket #gothic #horror novel, THE BANSHEE OF CLAN MURTAGH 🖤

🇮🇪 Medieval Ireland
🥀 Doomed romance
☠️ The black plague
💌 2025 #SmoochPit Mentee

#questpit #W #A #H #HF

EMILY WILDE'S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FAERIES X DIVINE RIVALS X THE SECRET GARDEN

📖 Cozy, light academia
🌿 Soft FMC studying nature-based magic
🌸 Hidden garden steeped in secrets
🏛️ Academic rivals-to-lovers
💌 Slow-burn romance
🍃 Legacy, ambition, and belonging

#QuestPit #YA #FantasyRomance